Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-08-13

indignity made the blood boil in his veins.
Before he could reflect on what he was doing
he was alongside of the man. and, catching
him by the throat, had hurled him backward
over his crupper with all the force he could
command The man fell heavily upon his
shoulders, and instantly there was a great
hubbub. John drew his revolver, and the
other Beers raised their rifles, and jess
thought that there was an end of it, and put
her hand before her face, having first thanked
John for avenging the insult with swift
fash of her beautiful eyes And, indeed, in
another second it would have been all over
had not the elder man who had taken the pass
interposed; the fact being that he had wit
messed the proceedings that led 10 his follow
er's discontinue, and, being a decent man at
bottom, had disapproved of them.
leave them alone and put down those
guns he shouted 1T served JaeObus right;
he was trying to push the girl from the horse.
Almighty, it is not wonderful those English
call us brute beasts when you boys do such
things. Put down your guns, | say, and one
of you help Jacobus up. He looks as sick as
buck with bullet through it,"
Accordingly the row passed over, and the
playful Jacobus whom jess noted with sat
isfaction was exceedingly sick and trembling
in every limb-was with difficulty hoisted on
to his horse, and proceeded on his journey
with not single bit of fun left in him
A little while after this jess pointed out a
long, low hill that lay upon the fiat belt, a
dozen miles or so away, like stone on a
stretch of sand
Look, she said; there is Mooifontein at
lastf'
ave are not there yet" remarked John,
sadly
Another weary half hour passed, and then
they suddenly, on passing over crest, saw
Hans Coetzee's homestead lying down by the
water in the hollow So that was where
they were being taken to.
Within hundred yards of the house the
Beers halted and consulted, except Jacoblfs,
who went on, still looking very green Finally
the elder man came to them and addressed
jess, at the same time handing her back the
pass. "You can go on home, he said "The
Englishman must stay with us till we find out
more about him"
He says that can go. What shall l dor
asked jess. Il don't like leaving you with
these men."
"Dol why go, of course. / can look after
myself; and if l can't, certainly you won't be
able to help me, Perhaps you will be able to
get some help at the farm. At any rate, you
must co.
Now, Englishman," said the Boer.
aGood by, jess, " said John. "God bless you. y
@Good by. john" she answered, looking
him steadily in the eyes for a moment, and
then turning away to hide the tears which
would gather in her own.
And thus they parted.
She knew her way now, even across the
open veldt, for she dared not go by the road.
There was, however, bride path that ran
over the hill at the back of the house and for
this she shaped her course. Ii was 5 o'clock
now and both she and her horse were in Il
condition of great exhaustion, which was en-
HANGED in her case by want of food and
trouble of mind But she was strong
woman and had will of iron, and she held
| on where most women would have died. jess
meant to get to Mooifontein somehow, and
| she knew that she would get there If she
| could only reach the place and get some heir
sent to her lover, she did not greatly care
| what happened to her afterward. The pace
| of the horse she was riding got slower and
slower. From the ambling canter into which
| at first she managed occasionally Il
| force it, and which is the best pace t.
| travel in South Africa it continually col
| lapsed into a rough, short trot, which wa.
| agony to her, riding as she was, and from
that into walk Indeed. just before sunset
| or little after O'Clock, the walk hecam,
| final At last they reached the rising grounC
| that stretched up the slope to the MooltOnteiI
| hill, and here the poor beast fell down, ut
terly worn out. jess slipped off and tried t.
drag it up, but failed 1t had not yard o
| go left i'll it So she did what she could pull
ing off the bride and undoing the girth $,
| that the saddle would fall off if the horse eve
managed to rise. Then she set to work t,
walk over the hill. The poor horse watche,
her go with melancholy eyes, knowing that i
| was being deserted First it neighet. then
with desperate effort struggled to its fee
| and ran after her hundred yards or So onl'
| to fall down again at last. jess turned anC
/ saw it, and, exhausted "a she was, she pos
itively ran to get away from the look in thoo
big eyes. That night there was a cold rain
in which the horse persisted, as poor" horse
| are apt to do.
1t was nearly dark when jess at length
| itdtAtb ttt VI luS ulil anu ibbhttl tNHil
| She knew the spot we'll, and from it she coul,
always see the light from the kitchen window
| of the house. Tonight there was no light
| Wondering what it could mean, and feeling
| fresh chill of doubt creep round her heart
she scrambled on down the hill When she wa
| about half way down shower of sparks sud
denly shot up into the air from the spo
| where the house should be, catsed by the fal
| of piece of wall into the smoudering ember
beneath Again jess paused, wondering am
| aghast What could have happened. De
termned at all hazards to discover, she crep
| on very cautiously Before she had gon
| another twenty yards, however, a hand wa
| suddenly laid upon her arm. She turne'
| quickly. too paralyzed with fear to cry out
and as she did SO a voice that was familiar +
her whispered. Missile jess, Missile jess, is i
| youF" into her ear. Il am Jantjen
She gave a sigh of relief. and her heart
which had stood still, began TO move again
| Here was friend at last
| II heard you coming down the hill, thong
| you came so softly he said; but | coul
not tell vino 1t was. because You jumped fror
rock to rock, and did not walk as usual. Blu
/ thought it was a woman with boots;
could not see, because the light all falls dea
against the hill aud the stars are not up. 5
got to the left of Your path-fOr The wind
| blowing from the right-and waited till yo
had passed, and winded you Then l knew
who YOU were for certain-either You o
| Missile Bessie: but Missile Bessie is shut up, S
it could not be her.
Bessie shut up,n calculated jess, not eve
/ pausing to marvel at the dosllke instinct tha
enabled the Hottentot TO identify her "Wha
do you mean
"This way, missile: come this way and WI
tell YOU" and he led her to fantastic phi
of rocks in which it was his wild habit
sleep jess knew the place well, and la
often peeped into, but never entered, til
Hottentot's kennel
Il "Stop a bit, missile. | will go All
light candle: | have some in Their
] and they can't see the light from Il
outside and accordingly he vanished
In a few seconds he returned, an'
a taking her by the sleeve, led her along
] winding passage between great powders, II
they came to beehole in the rocks, throug
which she could see the light shining. Con
down on his hands and knees Jantje creI
D through and jess followed him. She four
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